Jeremy Messersmith and Derek James to perform at The Underground
Andrew Vogl
Issue date: 1/28/10 Section: Entertainment
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Jeremy Messersmith has been enjoying the past few years as one of the most critically acclaimed and well-received Twin City singer-songwriters. The City Pages called him the premiere under-30 singer-songwriter in the Twin Cities, and many have compared his work to the likes of Elliott Smith and Simon & Garfunkel. His beautifully crafted melodies and melancholy lyrics conjure up vivid sentiments reminiscent of 60s peace, love and understanding.
I was lucky enough to share a few words with Messersmith recently about his transformation from a computer science technician to an accomplished songwriter, as well as his experience working with Minnesota legend Dan Wilson.
"[Working with Wilson] was amazing… I remember growing up and learning 'Closing Time' on guitar, and here I was playing with the guy who wrote it. It was pretty fucking cool."
Pretty fucking cool, indeed. The finished product, Jeremy's latest album titled "The Silver City," couldn't have come out any better. Slick harmonies, reverb-filled guitar riffs, catchy hooks and overall impeccable songwriting make it a must-own disc for any music fan.
The opening track on the album, which bears the same name as the album itself, is an eerie take on city ambiance - lulled voices and the din of the Minneapolis light-rail build up and give way to the euphoric first track, "Welcome to Suburbia," an ironic take on suburban life and how it masks reality. The album then begins to play through like a well-thought-out story, encompassing both elation and sorrow as Messersmith describes living life in the heartland.
The highlight track, "Franklin Avenue," screams Elliott Smith. The similarities between the two are hauntingly apparent in this his most accessible song on the record. The twangy guitars and Messersmith's masterful voice combine to prove that Jeremy Messersmith is not your average musician; this man has talent, folks.
In addition to talent, Messersmith also has valuable advice for aspiring young musicians.
"Work on writing the best songs you can, and then record them cheaply. Then just give it away. Just give your stuff away," he said. "I probably gave away like 1,000 CDs… Eventually people started talking about it, so I changed it up and made a different mix of songs that I recorded at home to give away at live shows. It's like the Oscar Wilde quote, 'The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.' Most of the people who make good music are being talked about."
Messersmith's passion shines through in his live shows as well, and he is no stranger to playing at UW-Stout. He recounted performing at The Underground in the past.
"I remember the last time I played there. I thought I was going to be really awesome at bowling because I had been playing Wii bowling," Messersmith said. "It turned out the skills didn't translate at all. I still really suck at bowling."
Regardless, Messersmith is equally as excited to perform for us as we are excited to have him.
"I'm looking forward to coming out and at least trying to bowl, anyway. [Laughs] We'll see how I do."
This event is sponsored by Blue Devil Productions and is free to all. Please call (715) 232-2432 or go to bdp.uwstout.edu for more information
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